DORAL, Fla. — Pressure is building on Doral leaders to end the city’s 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Activists and current and former elected officials held a news conference in Doral Tuesday, calling for the city to end the agreement, which allows local police to help enforce immigration laws.
“It’s undignified what these leaders did,” Joe Garcia, a former Democratic congressman, said. “We send a message to Tallahassee and to Washington: We will not stand for this.”
City leaders signed the agreement in 2025.
“An entire city council voted to participate in cruelty,” Garcia said.
The group painted a picture of seriously negative impacts of immigration enforcement on the city: 70% of its residents were born outside of the U.S. and 40% are of Venezuelan origin.
“What we’re doing now is engaging in self-defeating action, which is harming our economy,” South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez said. “You’re hearing business owners say their business is down 40-70%. Restaurants, shops, all being impacted. We are losing critical labor that we need to keep our economy moving.”
Restaurant owner Jose Ramirez said business has slowed dramatically.
“It’s been hitting us very hard,” he said, adding that his revenue has dropped 70% over the past month due to ICE enforcement in the area. “This week, like, three restaurants closed and food trucks.”
Regarding the enforcement, Ramirez said, “It has to stop.”
Local activist Thomas Kennedy said at the news conference that city leaders could “exit” the agreement.
At the time, Doral city leaders said they had no choice but to sign it.
Local 10 News is working to find out whether the city can rescind the measure.
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